The Official Website for Chicago Symphony Orchestra Trombonist Michael Mulcahy

Contents

NU Trombone Studio

July 12, 2007

Those of you who have worked with me already will know that I am very focused on the quality of your fundamentals. Between now and the Fall you can get ahead by being patient in your practice, ensuring the most beautiful sound possible on EACH AND EVERY note with a minimum of effort (NO FORCE!). Clear clean attack, seamless air in legato, sustain from breath to breath. This is actually more important than just getting (hitting???) notes, because its’ presence guarantees your success, and its’ absence guarantees your failure.

Here are a few basic texts that you must acquire before school starts. A great source is hickeys.com:

Eric Klay/Richard McDonald - Daily Exercises for the Trombone
Edward Kleinhammer/Doug Yeo - Mastering the Trombone
Charlie Vernon - A Singing Approach to the Trombone
Arban's for Trombone, the new Alessi version is great but any version will do.
Max Schlossberg Daily Drills
Blazevich School for Trombone in Clefs and Alto Studies (Kharlamov/Deryugin/Stare) New Edition!

I like you to have a good selection of etudes, lyrical and technical such as Kopprasch, Mueller, Slama, Blazevich, Bitsch, Bozza, Tyrell, Maxted, Bordogni.

Baroque sonatas are vital. All Undergrads need the six sonatas of Galliard in two volumes (edited by Marx, published McGinness and Marx,NY). A great place to start, and good value (cheap!). Of course, similar sonatas by Vivaldi, Marcello, Corelli etc are equally valid. Try to buy them in collections of sonatas, probably for cello or bassoon, that are cheaper than individual sonatas edited for the trombone. Do bring any solos you own as well as duets, trios and 4tets. We will add repertoire once you are here

My colleague, Peter Ellefson, has also provided his list. You may notice some obvious duplication. Please acquire as much required material as you can afford. You may also wish to expand your repertoire, $$$$$'s permitting.

Texts and Periodicals:
Farkas The Art of Brass Playing $15
Farkas The Art of Musicianship
International Trombone Association Journals
Kleinhammer The Art of Trombone Playing $16.95
Stewart The Legacy of a Master Arnold Jacobs
Stewart The Legacy of a Master Philip Farkas
Wick Trombone Technique
Winding Yoga for Musicians and Other Special People (difficult/expensive to find)

Finally, here are some further texts which I also recommend:
Lafosse 1&2 the old version WITH orchestral studies and French solo rep studies (you can copy this from me when you get to school)
Lafosse school of sightreading
Konrad Bruns 20 Künstler Etuden
Bill Adam Routine (do you ever see him?)
Pichereau 20 studies
William Hill various study books
Benjamin Coy intonation studies for 3 trbs
David Vining Daily Drills
Buddy Baker Trombone Method
Johann Doms various studies
Alfred Jabobs studies for 2,3, and 4 trbs